Green Bay Protests New Packers President’s Stance on Keeping Team in the City After Matt LaFleur Revelation

Ed Policy’s arrival comes at a crossroads: HC Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst have last year left on their deals. And the clock is ticking on their long-term futures. While Policy hasn’t committed to extensions yet, his philosophy is clear—he won’t let key leaders dangle into lame-duck territory. That puts subtle pressure on LaFleur and Gutekunst to deliver in 2025. But the more jarring shift wasn’t about contracts, it was Policy’s declaration that one of his top priorities was to “keep the Packers in Green Bay.” That phrasing alone lit up fan boards.

Relocation? In Green Bay? The Packers have been publicly owned since 1923, with over half a million shareholders and a non-profit structure that legally prevents a move without an improbable two-thirds vote. Yet Policy’s comment, however well-intentioned, planted a seed of doubt in a city that hadn’t feared such a future in decades.

Policy’s Ohio roots and his NFL lineage—his father, Carmen Policy, oversaw operations with the 49ers and later tried to move the Browns during their controversial 1995 relocation attempt—only intensified the unease. The tension in Green Bay isn’t just about contracts—it’s about trust.

 When incoming president Ed Policy revealed his hands-off approach to extensions for coach Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst, fans heard something else: uncertainty. “All three of them [are] under multi-year contracts,” Policy said. “None of them are up at the end of this year. We won’t be doing anything going into this season.”

That ‘wait-and-see‘ stance hits differently in a town where the Packers are the economy. Policy’s priority to “keep the Packers in Green Bay” (his words) rang hollow to locals already nervous about the team’s future. The math doesn’t help—LaFleur and Gutekunst have two years left on their 2022 deals. And Policy admits he “generally opposed” letting key staff enter lame-duck years. But actions speak louder than words. By punting on extensions now, he’s made 2025 a prove-it year for the regime that brought Jordan Love to life.

Packers fans question Ed Policy’s priorities

Ed Policy’s priorities sounded simple enough, until his second point landed like a Hail Mary interception. When the Packers president declared keeping the team in Green Bay as a top goal, fans didn’t cheer. They panicked. “What do you mean keep the Packers in Green Bay?!” one tweet exploded, capturing the collective unease. Another simply posted: “ok. I don’t like him.”

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For a community where the Packers’ stadium shares parking lots with neighborhood homes, the phrasing felt dangerously conditional. “Talk about setting a low bar,” grumbled another user, while others called it “concerning since nobody considered this a possibility in 50 years.” The outrage wasn’t about the sentiment—it’s that Policy felt the need to say it at all. The backlash wasn’t just about words—it was about legacy. Green Bay’s shareholders have spent generations treating the team as a public trust, not some franchise that could bolt.

Policy likely meant it as reassurance—a nod to small-town pride. But in Titletown, where every offseason move gets dissected like scripture, fans heard a ghost of threats past. The Packers haven’t seriously faced relocation talks since the 1990s, when Milwaukee games ended. Now, with Policy’s Ohio ties and his dad’s influence, who once was with the 49ers, skepticism is brewing. Additionally, his hardball contract with LaFleur, ah, the city isn’t loving it.

But guess what’s the irony here? Policy’s other goals—”win football games” and “strengthen our community”—got drowned out. Because in Green Bay, keeping the Packers is strengthening the community. And right now, fans aren’t sure if their new president gets that.